The End of Europe

So guys, for any loyal followers I have left reading this blog, this is the last entry :'( But don't be too sad, my friend Stefanie and I are taking on NYC to try and live the dream, so you can follow our blog @

http://steflysnyc.blogspot.com/

In the meantime, I had a wonderful trip. Not too many adventures today besides riding in business class home! Slept, read, watched The Dilemma (not good) and Just Go With It (Super cute). Sat next to an older lady who I would describe as a jewish New Yorker, but was very nice to me! And our flight got in an hour early!

I had a rather large hiccup in Athens yesterday, but all I can do is pray that I will be able to go back. It's a far off, expensive dream, but it's not impossible. I love Europe probably more than I love America, but it always feels good to come home. And by home, I mean good ole NYC!

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to follow my NYC adventures! 

The Greek Eye

Another gorgeous day on the greek isles! Seriously, buying a summer house here when I become rich...

Woke up fairly early today so I could lay out (and finished reading a book!) I then decided while everyone else was eating that I would walk around the other side of the island. Well, it was bigger than I though, so I stopped walking after 45 minutes, but I did see some beautiful views!! (Also, stumbled upon a nude beach!)

I walked into town the other way around the island and decided to eat at the White Cat again. The guy was so happy to have me back, but said they were out of kebabs (which was my favorite dish from the day before). He said we would make something special for me, and that it would be just as good. I told him it better be! Turns out it was better! It was still kebabs but made with different meat and it was divine. He then brought me a free expresso since it was my second time there and I told everyone in the group to go there too (and they did). Also, bird ate lunch with me. I'm not kidding...it literally sat on the other end of the table for about 3 minutes. Wasn't afraid of me at all...

I went further into town to shop for a bit and met a lady who explained to me what the blue Greek eye meant. Apparently it wards of evil and brings good luck! The first present a Greek child gets is a necklace (boys get a cross with the eye and girls get a madonna). So I bought some t-shirts and headed back...

But then I got distracted and wandered in yet another direction to see more pretty views. I found a beautiful grave yard. You think, a grave yard? Beautiful? But it was! All white with flowers everywhere. Even the bottoms of the trees were painted white. After my walk I headed back, swam in the ocean, ate a dinner of Muflaka (I think that's what it's called...) It's some Greek dish that is really good. It has meat, cheese, potato, cinnamon and something else I think...

Then it was Greek toga time! We had a toga party out back by the pool (I had to tie all of the boys for them). And tomorrow morning we leave for Athens...as excited as I am for Athens, I really don't want to leave paradise...

Also some things about Greece that aren't so perfect (I know, I don't want to ruin the beautiful picture I've painted for you, but I do want to keep things truthful). 1. There are lots of stray cats and dogs 2. There are bugs...they aren't too too bad on the beach during the day, but at night, the mosquitos such! 3. You can't flush toilet paper down the toilets...it's a little disgusting, but Greece is the best place ever, so we deal!

Another tid bit...my mom reminded me my name is Greek! YAY! Now if I could only find a hot Greek man so that my last name was Greek too and we could have a summer home here...

Traveling Pants 3

I spent the day living the perfect life :D Yep, still in love with Greece!

Woke up this morning to breakfast and a bike ride into town! It only took like 10 minutes and it gorgeous, quaint, and perfectly Greek. We road around the whole small island (got a nice workout) and found a gorgeous cliff with a view. We stopped at a few stores and bought post cards and little souvenirs and took pictures of the alley ways and white houses :D We stopped at a restaurant called White Cat and had the most DELICIOUS food. I know I say that every time, but for reals....Amazing! I had some appetizer that was warm feta cheese, oil, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. And then I had lamb and pork sausages, greek sauce (I don't know the real name), onions, tomato, and pita bread...basically the gyro without being put together, but better than anything I've ever tasted! SO great and cheap!! He brought us some traditional dessert for free. It was like an orange thing...it was awful. WAY too citrusy and sourrrrr.

Afterwards we biked back and laid out on the beach! The water was super clear and cold, but wonderful. And I got tan! YAY sun! We biked back into town later and got ice cream and a beer (from a 40 year old guy who hit on us...too funny) and then had dinner at the hotel.

Sounds like an uneventful day, but it was perfectly wonderful! Lots of good pictures to come!

My Big Fat Greek Paradise

I'm in Greece, or as I like to call it, heaven. I could never have imagined a more beautiful country. I don't know if it is because I had to wait so long to see it, but seriously, it's everything I dreamed and more.

So today we woke up on the boat (after a not so good sleep) to a meal entirely consisting of bread. I read, surfed the internet, and felt the breeze on the top of the boat until we docked around 12. Greece was waiting!

We took a bus ride for about an hour and a half before lunch. I tried to capture the beauty of the country on camera, but I don't think it will really express it. I mean it's just dark blue water that is see through up close and red roof after red roof (Not kidding, there are very few roofs that don't look like that spanish tile). Seriously, it looks like a picture in a magazine. People still hang there clothes up to dry! I couldn't sleep the entire bus ride because I was just trying to soak in the wonderful beauty of the islands, mountains, sea, and villages. About 40 minutes into the ride, however, I had to pee (I know what you are thinking, TMI Lys, TMI) Well yes, you may be right, but it made me think of Kobie (our dog) and how he has to pee when he gets overly excited, and that was me! So we made an emergency stop, and then I was back marveling at Greece.

I got a gyro for lunch...it was fricken wonderful! I don't know if I will ever be able to eat a Skipper's one again. We also saw a huge hand made canal from the 1800's. We continued around the mainland over winding roads lined with pink flowers. We passed some white houses/mansions that looked like those from Mama Mia and more red roofed villages tucked into the hills with short green trees surrounding it, and of course gorgeous coast lines. Best bus ride ever.

We made it to the Ferry that took us over to the island. Another AESU group is staying in the hotel from Alabama and Florida, but other than that it is a pretty quiet area. There is a small beach, a huge pool complete with a bar behind the hotel, and a small town just a 10 minute bike ride away. I walked up and down the street, sat on the dock, and laid out by the pool for the remainder of the evening. We had fish, fries, and greek salad for dinner, and now I'm going to bed so that I can enjoy my two days in the sun in my own personal heaven. 

Unleashing the Wrath of The Greek Gods

I woke up today, got ready to leave for Greece, but couldn’t seem to get Lindsey up. Before I went down to breakfast I woke her up again, and she promised me she would be downstairs by 7. I attempted to find an ATM. First two didn’t work, but finally found and open one (and made it back to say bye to the people not continuing on the tour and to grab a croissant). This should have been the first sign of the day to come.

It was 7:05, we were boarding the bus, and Lindsey wasn’t there. I ran upstairs, banged on the door, and said “Sarah’s going to leave, if your butt isn’t downstairs now”. I held the bus for her (took awhile to load everything into our new small bus anyway) and we were off to Pompeii. Mind you, we were the only people on the bus who had to sit next to each other on the bus because she was late and the seats were super cramped. It was an awful 3 hours of not being able to move at all. Thirty minutes into the ride Lindsey can’t find her passport. Sarah is frantic, Lindsey is panicking, and we are trying desperately to find it. After calling the hotel that didn’t have it, Lindsey finally found it going through her suitcase for the 4^th time. PHEW!

The tour of Pompeii was pretty good, but it was CRAZY hot! I snuck off at one point to get a picture of the Greek theatre because last time I was there the big one was under construction. Our tour guide was dressed in all pink, looked like Barbie and Elle Woods exploded on her wardrobe, and she just proceeded to tell us stories about the phallic symbols and the whore house. Guess she was catering to college students? I don’t remember that much sex talk on the tour with my grandparents…

We had a cheap lunch of salad, a huge pizza, and gelato before heading back on the bus. I read and slept until suddenly I smelled something funny. I looked around and everyone else smelled it too. Next thing I know, we are pulled over on the side of the road…the bus broke down. Again. Except this time, we are an hour away from our ferry to Greece, which we were suppose to board at 6. It was 4:45 when we pulled over.  We unloaded the bus and waited for another one to come pick us up, allegedly in 30 minutes. SERIOUSLY?!?! All I could think was some divine being really doesn’t want me to go to Greece. First a volcano, and now a car break down?!?!?

After getting honked at by virtually every truck driver on the road and reading a majority of my book, a bus finally arrived….at 7 o’clock. The boat didn’t take off till 8, but it would be at least 45 minutes to get there. Sarah said she was calling people to hold the boat. Needless to say we made it on the boat right at 8 o’clock running with every bag!!

The boat is nice, and I have never been on one overnight, but the cabins are TINY! There are 4 of us to a room of bunk beds (I’m on top) with all of our luggage because they didn’t store it. Let’s just say we barely have room to breathe. However, I’m just so happy to be on this boat that I could care less! We ate downstairs (I had lamb, already feeling the Greek vibe), reenacted Titanic outside the boat (well, I did), and I’m now drinking coffee and enjoying wifi. Praying we get to Greece safely!

Also, side note: You can certainly feel the boat moving. I feel like I’m slightly drunk constantly, but I’m getting used to it.

Pope Bless You

This morning we explored Roma! We met our tour guide and went through the Forum (which was awesome because I didn’t go in it with Nanny and Pop). We saw the original senate, where Julius Caesar was cremated, and where Titus entered the city after enslaving the Jews. We also saw where the virgin vestals lived, which were the most powerful women after the emperor.

Next to the Forum is the Coliseum (my favorite place in Rome), so we stopped by there. We didn’t get to stay long at all, but it was still nice. We headed back on the bus to Vatican City where I was able to mail some post cards and since it’s Sunday we received a Blessing from the Pope himself! He comes out of this really small window probably 20 stories up, so he looks like a little speck. He spoke in Italian, German, Latin, Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese! It was kind of incredible.

We didn’t want to hassle with the line of trying to get into the basilica, so Lindsey and I headed to the bus. It was SUPER packed, but we made it close to the city center. We had lunch at a cute little sandwich shop (and I had one of the best ones I’ve had since I’ve been in Italy). We met a nice Australian couple sitting next to us and they helped us figure out how to get to the Pantheon. We made it there and inside. It has a beautiful open dome roof.

We decided to walk toward the Trevi Fountain, but of course ended up in the wrong direction and going in a circle. However, we did pass a market and a cool building in the process, so we didn’t care! Made it to the fountain, which was PACKED! I mean, I know it’s the weekend but geez Italy is just so populated! We got gelato (they had kiwi which was also delicious) and got hit on by a lot of Italian men…pretty entertaining.

After gaining 5 extra pounds we headed back to the Spanish steps because we knew how to get home from there (via metro AND train!) but little did we know, we were in for a cultural experience. Today in Rome there is a soccer match against some other country and it is a HUGE deal! EVERYONE is wearing pink and black (that’s Rome’s colors) and carrying flags and screaming cheers. Well, when we got into the metro they all started singing. Hundreds, possibly thousands of soccer fans! It was too funny and pretty exciting. I felt bad for wearing blue…

Made it back to the hotel around 3:30 only to find our shower was still not fixed (surprise surprise). Waited an hour and a half for them to come, when they didn’t, we took showers and flooded the bathroom anyway. Then we took off for a Roman Banquet!

It was HUGE and delicious as usual (probably one of the best meals here). We had salad, bruschetta, lasagna, pork, potatoes, and tiramisu. I was the only one at my table who wanted white wine, so he brought me mine own bottle. There was also a guy there playing the guitar and singing songs for us and trying to play American songs where we attempted to fill in the words. It was exciting. Afterwards we went to the Trevi fountain at night, and then I headed back to the hotel (while my roommate and others went out). When I came back, of course the internet was not working (hence the late post) and I tried to stay awake (but fell asleep) until Lindsey knocked on the hotel door at 2:30am. And then we fell into a peaceful sleep for 3 and a half hours before the adventures of today…. 

What Would Jane Do?

Well the last two days have been absolutely Italian and wonderful.

So yesterday we arrived in Florence pretty early in the afternoon. We had time to store our luggage (out in the open mind you, which was a little nerve wracking) and grab a sandwich before a walking tour. We saw the three main squares (including the famous churches, Duomo, the political area, and the bridge). It was a really nice day out and I’ve already seen most of the sights of Florence, but our tour guide was good. Afterwards I got gelato (and found my new favorite flavor, pistachio) and met up with Ryu!

As a group we went to a leather store and learned a little about it’s quality and how it was produced. I bought a nice black wallet too! Ryu and I continued to walk around the city and buy souvenirs before we went back to his very quaint Italian apartment. I met hit roommates and one of them, Leon, came to dinner with us at an Italian Restaurant. It was delicious, and right across the street I saw a sign for Strongbow and Bulmers (at an Irish pub mind you) so we went there afterwards. We decided to meander through the city some more and got gelato at Grom (one of the best places according to Julia, and it really was!!!) Also yes, I did have it twice in one day! I was getting tired, so the boys walked me back to my hotel, which was really nice and fell dead asleep.

The next morning Lindsey and I woke up fairly early to go to a Western Union so she could get more cash. It ended up being another huge fiasco because her middle name wasn’t written on it, so nowhere would give us the money. Eventually we decided to go to the market anyway and I told her I’d pay for her. We had a ball in the market! We haggled and everything! I got a bracelet, another suitcase, and a gift, and she got a purse and scarves. We decided by this point that we had spent enough money, so we were walking back to the hotel when we passed Massimo’s Leather! (Julia told me this guy was wonderful, but I couldn’t find it the day before). Well, he was great! And soooo nice! And he was giving us all sorts of deals, so I ended up buying a super cute red leather purse (originally 90 euro, got it for 50!) I was mad I had already bought the wallet because he sold them for 30 and I bought my (last year’s style) wallet for 55. He was just super nice and gave us hugs and asked us about our lives and everything.

Then it was back to the bus for a SUPER long ride to Rome! And then a funny thing happened. Last year (about this same time) I was here with my grandparents and we were coming back from Florence to Rome by car and we got a flat tire and had a whole car fiasco. So what happened today on that same highway? Saverio’s bus starts making noises and we have to stop 3 times (we now have a new bus and a new driver, which is sad because we all loved him). But seriously? What is it with me and traveling!

Get to Rome, check in to a less than desirable hotel (it’s all these dark colors that don’t match) and take a shower. Well the shower overflows, and the whole bathroom is an inch deep in water, and they tell us they can’t fix it till tomorrow, so we have a mini pool!

We headed on a train and subway to get into the city for dinner and went to eat with Kelci and Ashley (which was really fun!). We ended up sitting next to this woman from San Francesco named Jane that talked to us for about 30 minutes about her life. I have never met such a character!!! I will try to sum up the highlights of our convo. She was celebrating her 70^th birthday, we said “oh you look so young” she said “well I better with all this plastic surgery!” She is a tour guide and has a house in Mexico and butt loads of money. She’s been to Hong Kong 72 times. So then she begins saying things like “follow your passion” “stay single, you don’t need men, I’m on my second divorce. I got drunk and got the first one to knock me up, marry me, and then divorced him, and the second one was one of my high school students who had a lot of money.” She also said such things as “If you have sex with a man, you can get whatever you want from them” I could keep going on because she was just so entertaining, but I think you get the drift! So anyways we headed back to the hotel before the train stopped running with some of the boys. 

Basically Rome has people everywhere and so many street vendors that try to sell you stuff, but also a lot of Americans (much like Florence) which makes it super easy to get around. When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Getting my history fix tomorrow! 

Pigeon Palooza

Woke up bright and early this morning for Venice! On the car ride there I found digestives at the rest stop (one of my favorite European foods!)

When we got to Venice I had to pay 1.50 euro to pee! It was insane! We took a boat ride from the bus to the island of Murano where we watched glass being blown. It was very cool, and all of the workers are SUPER skilled! Then we got a chance to buy real Murano glass, so I got earrings :) After we hopped back on the boat to Venice!

First impressions: There are SOOOO many people! Like huge amounts of tourists! Also, for as many people as there are, there are that many pigeons. They are everyone and people feed them and they fly really low so you are constantly ducking. It's absolutely crazy. We immediately grabbed a bite to eat and then just wandered around Venice. We visited St. Marks Basilica which was really beautiful and covered in gold on the inside. It looked different than a lot of European cathedrals, but really nice. Next we walked around through little stores and such and stumbled upon a music museum and some more churches that we breezed through.

Eventually our tummies got the best of us and we got gelato! I had coconut, strawberry, and mint chocolate chip. All of course, were delicious. We walked back and sat in a park for awhile before meeting the rest of the group to go on a gondola ride. While the ride was fun, we got screwed because of canal traffic so we only got a 25 minute ride and the majority of it was around Venice instead of through the canals. Ripping off the tourists...

We had more free time after that so we just walked and shopped some more. Saw some of the famous bridges and met up with some of the other people. Eventually we headed back to the hotel (not located in Venice) for what we thought would be a pizza party. Turns out, we had to go to the pizza place and pay ourselves (all of us tired, hungry, and grumpy because it was 10) but the food turned out delicious! And Saverio kept buying us wine and these lemonade shot things. Now I am full, but completely exhausted, and we leave for Florence in the morning! Ciao!

White Water Resting

So today I am going to grace you with some light reading.

I woke up at 9 and had breakfast downstairs, and then came back up to my room and emailed EVERYONE to get prepared for NYC. Springboard, agents, alumni, headshot people, connections etc. I still have more to go, but I felt like I accomplished something. I'm getting super stoked/nervous for New York! Later, I dropped a bag of laundry off downstairs (they do it for you, which is awesome!)

In the afternoon we went white water rafting about 45 minutes from the hotel. They gave us wet suits, boots, life vests, and a helmet. I was expecting some hard core rafting! Needless to say it was like class 2 rapids and pretty boring. They did let us jump off the side into the rapids though, which was fun. And we had splash wars with the other boats.

Upon getting back to the hotel, I read some of my book and had dinner downstairs. It was broccoli soup, beef stew, and some type of dessert balls (I was starving since I hadn't eaten since 9). Most people are now chillin out downstairs, but we are the cool outsiders that are upstairs packing, reading, and sleeping!

In other words, no real fun adventures today. (See post below for that!) Off to Venice at 6am. Wish I'd been in the states seeing Rea graduate today!

Munich Marvelousness, Mishaps, and Misfortune...

Surprisingly, I am safely in Austria. Surprisingly you ask? Let me retell the story of my Munich adventure.

We left Switzerland pretty early Monday morning and headed to Lichtenstein, the worlds smallest country. We were there for an hour, with absolutely nothing to do. I bought a mini shot glass with my last franks and then we headed on to Germany. Along the way we stopped for lunch. Where does a giant tour bus full of Americans go? McDonalds! Lol. They really are nicer in Europe though…and each one has different menu items.

After our short stop we got back on the road where I finished a great book called “Second Glance” and ended in Munich. We had about 2 and a half hours of free time before dinner so we explored the city center and saw the bells ring and the glockenspiel turn (not all its cracked up to be). I saw a theatre street that had the main theatre in Germany and a bunch of really pretty churches. We also strolled through the European Gardens.

Dinner was at a wonderful Bavarian restaurant and was tomato soup, cabbage, pork and dumplings, and an apple strudel with vanilla topping. I asked for another glass of water there, and the server said I had to pay, which I replied was fine. Well, he brings me out what looks like water, but is some sparkling crap. I told him I wanted water and he said, it is. Everyone then informed me I had to ask for “flat water”. Well, that would have been nice to know earlier, not to mention I thought he would have brought me the same thing we were drinking before. Lindsey and I left kind of early because we were going to meet Aaron (my friend from Miami).

He wanted to take us to the same restaurant we were just at! So instead we went to the Hofbrauhaus, which is the most famous pub. I, reluctantly, got a stein because I couldn’t go to Germany without having one (even though I really dislike beer). I got a dark one and managed to drink the whole thing without hating it too much.  Aaron’s friends Will and Dan came too who were really fun to hang out with. They wanted to show us more of Munich’s nightlife so we grabbed some German Gelato and headed onto the U (subway system) to the artsy part of town. (Oh, and on our way out of the Hofbrauhaus 40 year old asian men stopped us and danced with Lindsey and I. Aaron took pics..it was pretty entertaining). So, Monday night is kind of a bust for going out, but we found one place open where Aaron got fries with mayonnaise and onion, which I kind of liked. (Europeans and their freakin mayonnaise fries!) We walked around a bit more and found a grassy fountain area where a lot of college kids were chillin, so we sat there for awhile.

By this point it was about 12:30 and most places were closed, so they took us back to where they live (which is on a college campus) to their favorite bar. We hung out there until around 2 and decided to just stay with Aaron since it was late and we were exhausted. The plan was to get up the next morning and take the U back to the main square and walk to the hotel (a total of 30 minutes max).

Lindsey and I left Aaron’s apartment around 8 giving us an hour and half to make it back to the hotel. We get on the U, no problem, with our tickets from last night because it is really easy to get on without getting them stamped. We wait on the train for about 6 minutes before it moves to the next stop. At the next stop, an overhead announcement comes on (in German) and people start leaving, so we do too. There is no other U to take from there so we follow everyone to the bus station. A really nice lady tells us that the U is suspended for 10-15 minutes at every stop and says we can get on a bus, to a different U line, and then on another bus to get to the square. It sounds super over complicated and it is 8:40 at this point, so we decided to hail a taxi.

Since the U is moving slowly ALL of the taxis are full, so after 10 minutes of trying. (And using a whole lot of Alexander technique to keep my nerves down) a lady comes up to us and says that a taxi station is about 2 blocks down, and walks us there. (Gotta love the nice Germans!) Finally a taxi comes and he doesn’t know where our hotel is (mind you we keep a list of the hotels, addresses and phone numbers with us, but THIS and ONLY this hotel has been changed, so all we have is the name). The taxi driver calls someone and figures it out and tells us we will be there in 30 minutes with the traffic…it’s 9, we leave at 9:30. So I realize there is nothing we can do, but get there, and the taxi driver puts on American music and tells us he LOVES Americans and asks if we are from California or Miami. Lol.

FINALLY we make it to the hotel at 9:27, run like mad women upstairs to change into pants and zip our suitcases, and fly back down the stairs. Longest walk of shame ever? I think so! Did we make it to the bus at 9:30? You betcha! Let’s just say that was one scary adventure that luckily ended well. I’m not sure what we would have done if they left without us.

So after taking the time to breath on the bus we headed to Dauchau, the first concentration camp. It was remarkable to see. To physically walk through the gates, see the crematoriums, the rows where houses used to be filled with people, and see artifacts of the horrible tragedy was an unforgettable experience. The holocaust is my favorite time to learn about in history, so I really enjoyed having the opportunity to go there. We also got a chance to go into the museum part and watch a movie in English on it, so that was a good experience.

We headed back to the bus and to Salzburg! It is yet another beautiful European city and Sound of Music was filmed there!!! However, we were only there 1.5 hours so I couldn’t go on the tour. I was so pissed. Especially cause Sara knew how excited I was and said it was possible. So yes, I was SUPER bummed, but I got to see where they filmed the hiding scene and the fountain that Andrews sings “Confidence” in front of. I want to go back SO bad. Dad, I wish you were there with me! We would have had a ball! Also, while in Salzburg I had Wiener schnitzel and a chocolate covered soft pretzel and bought a Sound of Music book (look mom, I bought myself something!) 

After our short time in the city we got back on the bus to another part of Austria, one I like to call THE COMPLETE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE!!!!!!!! We had to rush through Heidelberg, Cologne, Munich, and Salzburg to end up here for 2 days?!?! It’s worse than Oxford! Dinners are provided in the hotel because there is only one other restaurant. Looks like I will be preparing for my NYC life most of tomorrow!

Sorry for the extremely long blog post! I’m sure tomorrows will be shorter. And the adventures continue…

Pilates on Pilatus

It is gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, breath taking, exquisite, and just plain awe-inspiring in Switzerland!

Today we walked around the city of Lucerne (American spelling) which is quite small, but very cute and clean. Many of the buildings are painted with designs and have uniquely swiss roofs. There are lots of small squares where children were playing because they are part of after school clubs (they get out every day at 1! And meet on Sundays too). We saw one square where they used to put on passion plays, which of course got me all excited! Sara took us on a tour around the city because she knows it well. We also saw the old jail/torture building and a famous bridge that crosses next to it.

She took us to a shop that sold swiss army knives and watches which a lot of people bought, but I got postcards and chocolate! And the chocolate of course, is to die for. Next, Lindsey and I walked around and went into the one other store that was open. (EVERYTHING here is closed on Sundays it's crazy. Even most of the restaurants). We strolled along the water and looked at the beautiful mountains. Eventually we stopped to have a sandwich and sit along the waters edge. Also, the conversion rate here is a lot closer to US dollars, BUT it is super expensive. I spent 10 dollars on one sandwich. We meandered for awhile before heading back to the bus for a excursion to Mt. Pilatus.

We took a gondola ride up the mountain (like little cable cars) which was the most stunning view ever. Then we took another, bigger, cable car to the very top. Let's just say at one point we hit a bump on the cable and my stomach dropped and I flipped. We were 7000 ft up with nothing underneath us. The views from the very top were incredible and like nothing I have ever seen before. It was very chilly and had been raining earlier so a little cloudy which stunk. There were 2 peaks we could climb and after we did the first one we headed to the second when it started raining again (The title comes in here...man, it was a work out!!!). We were half way up when we saw some of the group coming down because lightening had hit and the static had passed through them and scared them, so Lindsey and I headed back down the peak! We stopped in the restaurant for dessert...I got a Toberone Parfait which was amazing.

Then we headed back down the mountain on the steepest railway in the world. It, of course, consisted of more beautiful sights. I took about 150 pictures just today... We went back to the hotel for a little bit and then Lindsey and I went to find a place to eat that wasn't 50 franks a person! We settled on a diner with hamburgers, which was just what I wanted. It's a fairly early night, but we have to be up early tomorrow for Munich! Back to Germany we go! I'm so sad to leave Switzerland... definitely coming back for my honeymoon!!

Urinetown the European Musical

First thing I would like to point out is that my title blog not only is “punny”, but I have literally though about this musical 3 times today. Why you ask? Because after Paris everywhere we have gone, we’ve had to pay to pee! Now a reasonable amount would be a few cents, but no. The amounts I’ve paid over the last 4 days range from 50 cents to one euro. If we transfer that into American money that’s $1.65…to pee! Doesn’t matter if it is a public restroom, one in a McDonalds, or at a gas station. For a person with a small bladder, this can be a money stealer J

Now to today! It was wonderful because I have fallen in love with a new city. But to begin the day, it started as many of our days do, with a 3-hour bus ride to the black forest in southern Germany. We learned how coo coo clocks were made and then got black forest cake (It is chocolate cake with white cream and cherries). Honestly, I expected it to be better. It just wasn’t rich enough. Afterwards we went on a small hike through some of the forest before heading back to the bus!

Our next stop (after crossing the swiss border) was the Rhine waterfall. It is the biggest one in Europe, and it was beautiful! We were there long enough to grab some fries and enjoy the sun before heading to our final stop for the night, Luzern! Switzerland is gorgeous, absolutely stunning. I thought nothing could beat Ireland, but it does! There are huge mountains everywhere, some covered in forest, some in snow, and the villages and houses are placed all over the mountains, like someone just dropped them there. There is also a huge lake right through the city that just adds to its beauty. Ah, amazing.

Once we dropped our stuff off at the hotel we headed up into the mountains for a traditional Swiss dinner. Taking a huge tour bus onto one lane roads that had some 200 foot drops on one side was scary as crap, but we made it, and we had a group of about 15 boys and girls (high school and middle school range) ringing us in with bells! It was ridiculous! They served us Swiss cheese fondue, and Sevario (our bus driver) bought us all wine. The Swiss kids played accordions, yodeled for us, danced with us, taught us a clapping game, and helped serve us. It was SO adorable and fun! The meal was a turkey stew with vegetables and potatoes that were all homemade (and super delicious). Then they took us outside to try to learn how to use whips (which all the boys knew how to do) and of course we looked like idiots cause barely any of us could do it. When all the boys got together it sounded like firecrackers going off everywhere.

They took us back inside after giving out prizes (let’s just say I spent more time whipping myself than the air) and served us chocolate pudding. They sang “Lollipop” for us and then asked us to sing a song for them. We picked Journey and actually did a pretty good job singing it! Sevario got up and danced and convinced Sara to and all the young boys asked the girls in our group to dance. It was really cute and a lot of fun. Oh yeah, and most of them spoke good English! Then at the very end they said, “We are going to snort snuff” I think I choked on my pudding. Apparently that is a Swiss tradition and they have a snuff machine as well, so they let everyone try it including Sevario and Sara (I did not participate in this activity). At this point I’m getting nervous because everyone is a little tipsy and getting high off tobacco, and Sevario is suppose to drive us home, but thank goodness he is a chain smoker and drank plenty of water! We got back on the bus and the kids followed us and gave us all hugs. It was SOOO entertaining, fun, and just really integrated us into the culture. The whole ride home I was a nervous wreck, but Sevario got us home safe despite being an Italian driver going through winding roads! He even threw us a mini dance party and we were dancing up and down the aisle of the bus!

Exploring more of this beautiful city tomorrow!!!!! Also paying a crap ton for internet here…you better read these blogs! lol

Over the Rhine

Guten tag! We made it to Germany after another long day on the bus!

Our first stop was Cologne, after about a 3-hour nap to see Europe’s largest cathedral. It was super pretty, but we only had a short amount of time in it. We also got sandwiches from a little café and a wonderful chocolate, shortbread, cookie dessert thing. After that it was back on the bus before a cruise on the Rhine River. It was an hour and a half boat ride through some cute little cities with lots of views of castles and the Loreli rock. For once it was hot, so I got some sun too!

After we got back on the bus for another hour and a half to Heidelberg. We got here later than expected due to traffic, so we had to rush through the gorgeous castle that overlooks the whole city (Seriously, like 15 minutes), and I got a picture of the biggest keg in the world.

Next we rushed off to a traditional German dinner of soup, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and chocolate pudding. It was pretty good! Wish I liked beer because apparently that was good too… Heidelberg is gorgeous! SO cute and full of college students. It reminds me of a cross between Florence, Charleston, and Puerto Rico. It’s full of cobble stone streets and little shops and colorful houses and the river. I wish we were here for longer! I feel like I got to see very little. It’s only 8, but I’m not up for partying and most of the stores and museums are closing, but more Germany in a few days! 

Now get off of my wood carved shoes!

Deutschland! Today was super fun, aggravating, and exhausting! It started with a really great hotel breakfast and a short bus ride to Edam, a small village in the Netherlands outside of Amsterdam. We took a bike ride through and around the town. Keeping in mind that I haven’t ridden a bike in some 5 years, I was quite impressed with my riding abilities. It was a nice morning despite the over cast skies and cool temperature (it got super sunny later!).

We headed back to the bus to the cheese and wooden shoe factory in another small town!  Also note, these areas were super quaint, gorgeous, and traditional. We learned how they make cheese and then got to sample multiple types. It was DELICIOUS! I ended up buying the dynamite cheese, which is native to that region. It’s literally like a huge round chunk of cheese, but I couldn’t be happier with the purchase! Next we went to the wooden clog shop right next door and learned how they made those. We got to try some on too! They really hurt your feet! It was about this time that my camera battery, that said it was half full, died. Thank goodness Lindsey had her camera, but I was still bummed.

We went further into town to eat lunch. It was super cute with cats and chickens running around and was right on the water. I had a sandwich and coffee, and then we walked around to see more of the area. After that we headed back into Amsterdam! This is when the “fun” begins.

Lindsey didn’t bring any cash with her, so she needed a Western Union which she remembered being by the bus stop, so we go to find Central Station. We went all the way around our butts to get to our elbows. Seriously, we walked around half of Amsterdam, and it is NO small place! Finally got to it and figured it out (an hour and a half later). They really do need a better public transport system…tube, metro, something! I did get a rolo mcflurry from Mickey D’s though.

Then we headed back to the area we were supposed to meet the group (by now it was too late for the Van Gogh museum). We knew the road we were suppose to be on so we walked north, or so we thought, before figuring out it was the wrong direction and walking back about 12 blocks the other way. Sat down to rest our feet at a café, but Lindsey decided she wasn’t thirsty, so we got kicked out for sitting there….oops! Found a bench close by though, and a man asked if he could sit next to it, so we politely said yes.

We continued talking, but then the man interrupted, “Where are you guys from?” “Ohio and Georgia” we responded. “Really? I’m from Atlanta!” He was here on business! We talked to him for a long time. He was really nice and funny. He was telling us they had shroom shops and how even though he was 40 he thought about buying a pot brownie. Lol. He has two daughters and went abroad when he was our age. He told us he wasn’t encouraging us to do anything, and that we should postpone the real world for a while. Funny man.

We went to a traditional Indonesian dinner and a boat ride on the canals of Amsterdam. It was then we discovered that we covered about 3/4ths of that cruise by foot today. I think we may have walked a good 3-4 miles overall. It was still really beautiful though. My new thoughts on Amsterdam: The red light district is kind of dirty, but when it is sunny, the rest of it is absolutely stunning with beautiful buildings and breath taking canals. Definitely my favorite place so far (excluding London of course!) Got back to the hotel around 8, completely wiped! Tomorrow we head to Germany! 

Brussel's, then turn on the Red Light!

I am definitely sick of riding in a bus behind a couple that lean their seats all the way back. We left for Brussels around 7 am and got there around 11:30. You bet I slept that entire time in uncomfortable positions.

Once we got to Brussels we only really had an hour to explore, but it was really pretty. Some great gothic architecture, and a LOT more people speak English. (Though most spoke French or Dutch) We saw the peeing boy manikin, which they are known for and of course bought Belgium chocolate. Sara told us to get mussels and fries, but we didn’t have enough time to sit down anywhere, so we just grabber fries, which are twice cooked and oh so good and filling. If I had left room I probably would have wanted a Belgium waffle too. After our short time there we boarded the bus again for another 3 and a half hour ride to Amsterdam. This time I read and slept.

I bought Internet, but shocker, it cuts in and out! Man I miss American wifi…so this is my second time rewriting this blog. Anywho, we took the bus to the city and my first impressions were this: Wow, a lot of people live here, Pretty buildings, but dirty, and holy crap the amount of bikes!! We headed to the Anne Frank house with a group of people, which was awesome (well depressing) but super cool to see! Then we took off for the red light district. Okay, it was really weird. I mean prostitutes and sex shops everywhere. How do they raise kids in this town?!? Not to mention every few blocks you could smell the pot (which they sell in places called “coffee shops”) By this point we are getting very hungry (don’t let your minds wander…I mean for food!)

So me, Lindsey, Jesse, Shandra, and Kelly find this pub that we fell in love with! Our waiter introduced himself as “F****** Fasimo” and did Shandra’s hair, painted our nails sparkly and with neon paint, took pictures with us, let us sing and dance behind the bar, and showed us pictures of his boyfriend. He was too funny!!! Another one of the 2 couples that was in the bar complained the music was too loud, so Fasimo told us to sing louder so that they’d leave! We stayed an hour after the bar closed and had a good ole time! (Pics to come later!) Finally we had an interesting time with the bus system finding our way home, but we made it! Off to bed because we have a busy day tomorrow!!

Also missing Miami a lot today, maybe the depression of graduating is starting to soak in? Good thing I have abroad to keep me company!

Passport to Paris!

So internet at the hotel SUCKS. Hence why you are just now getting the Paris update (sorry it's so long)! First off, yes the people were still rude there, BUT I still had a really fun time.

Monday morning we woke up nice and early to a croissant and crepe breakfast before boarding the bus for a perfume museum. It was pretty cool, and we got to smell a lot of different fragrances. Next we went on a bus tour around France with a really funny guide. We saw all the main attractions and of course got accosted by tons of gypsy’s and sellers at the touristy places. We ended at Notre Dame where there was a bread festival going on to compete for the best bread in the world and the winner serves the head of France for a year. It only happens three days a year, so it was cool to be there for it!

Lindsey and I went to lunch after the tour and I got French onion soup and quiche which was delicious I also picked up a baguette from the festival for dinner. The two of us walked around Paris, mainly along the Seine for the rest of the afternoon. Eventually we decided to head back to the hotel because of pure exhaustion. I ended up napping from 5-9!  Woke up to get ready for the Moulin Rouge! Note to anyone waking up from a four-hour nap: Don’t attempt to fix your hair with hairspray if you are carrying around a Downy wrinkle free spray that is in the same color bottle. Let’s just say my hair spelled like Febreeze that night! I went with a bunch of the sorority girls, but it was still very entertaining and fun. The dancers and singers were pretty good, but the costumes and set were the best part by far (not to mention I have never seen so many boobs in my life….like was it really necessary?) The variety acts were the best though! They had an incredible juggler, ventriloquist, and a lady that swam with snakes (I was FREAKIN out!). Also, the one English song they sang…I Will Survive! Lol After the show we had to take a taxi back which was funny because we talked to our driver who only knew a little bit of English. He kept asking us if we had children and talking about love. It was too funny.

Tuesday morning I woke up around 9 (didn’t get back until around 2 the night before). Lindsey and I spent awhile trying to find a crepe place, and when our hunger got the best of us we settled for a café, which apparently didn’t sell food, but I got a tiny little coffee that was super strong and scrumptious! We found a store that sold chocolate croissants too before heading to the Rodin Garden.  The Gardens were beautiful and we had a ton of fun taking pictures! We walked around Invalides for a while before meeting up with Spencer Dees!

He took us to the Luxembourg gardens, and we met up with his friends Natalie and Alli that were studying abroad here. I got an Italian sandwich and we bought bread, cheese, chocolate cookies, and boxed Sangria from a market. We headed to Sacre Coeur for lunch! We had a lovely picnic and it was fun to spend time with other people. We walked around Montmartre and I tried the “space ship” public toilets. Lindsey wanted to head home to try and wire money, but I stayed with Natalie and Spencer and we went back towards his hostel and had Pizza Hut in a park. 

It was a really lovely day!!! A lot of walking around, eating, and park sitting, but pretty perfect! Oh, not to mention it was like 73 degrees outside! Heading out to Brussels this morning! (It’s 6am here)

Paris over and Dover again

I’m plum tuckered out today despite the fact that we didn’t do much. We left at 6am on a bus to Dover to hop a ferry to France and then another bus to Paris, but of course it didn’t got that smoothly…When we got to Dover our bus driver let us off at a little station and we got Costa coffee and waited for Sara’s directions (If I have failed to mention her, she is our guide here…mama bear as she calls herself). Well, she thought they shuttled us to the port, they don’t. So we had to call the bus driver back and wait. Our ferry left at 9:40, when he returned it was 9:20. We had to reload our luggage, get our passports stamped, and go through a bus inspection. Needless to say, we missed that ferry.

It was only about an hour wait for the next one, which wasn’t bad, and the boat was HUGE! Biggest boat I’ve ever been on. Had stores and restaurants in it, which was pretty cool. I read all the way to France and then we got on our next bus for a 3 and a half hour bus ride to Paris!  I slept. We did stop at a gas station area along the way and I got Toberone. Finally made it to the hotel (smaller than the last one, which I thought was impossible) and freshened up before dinner.

At the bistro we got quiche, salad, roast beef and mashed potatoes, wine, and crème brulee! All of it was delicious! Then we headed back on the bus for a Seine River cruise at night! It was gorgeous, cold, but fun. I’m now terribly tired, and I have no idea what I want to do with all my free time in Paris. Talked with some cool Miami people today, which was nice before they all went out partying. Note to anybody who wants to go to Europe: go to see the sights, immerse yourself in the culture, and learn, but drinking away every night is stupid. You aren’t in college anymore, and if you want to so badly, you should have stayed at Miami.

On the ride home the bus driver played 90’s music and flickered the overhead lights to the beat…we had our own disco party :P Also, in London they spell tire--tyre. Love it!

All's Well that Ends Well in London!

What a long day! We (me and Lindsey) woke up at 9 and headed to Harrods on foot through Hyde Park. I showed her some of the best departments and then we had coffee and scones! Next we tubed it to the outskirts of London to see the Kew Botanical Gardens. Little did we know it cost 20 pounds to get in, and when we can see flowers in the US, we didn’t want to pay that, so we decided to go the national archives instead.

We started walking in what seemed like the right direction for 10 minutes, when we weren’t seeing the road we needed we stopped to ask for directions…we had gone the wrong way! We decided it wasn’t worth it since there was a lot of stuff we wanted to do, so we headed back to the tube and to Portobello market! On the tube ride were 4 kids, say 11 or 12, and they were funny talking in their British accents until they started cussing up a storm. F this and S that! It was appalling! Rea, I will make mom ground you if you use that language before you are 18! Anywho, we walked through the entirety of the market and I somehow refrained from buying anything plaid!

Next we tubed it to Baker Street and went to my Costa (by my, I mean the one I went to every morning before school, it’s a coffee shop). I had secret hopes that Pierre would be there. For those of you who didn’t read my last blog, he was a beautiful French man who worked at the Costa. Sadly, he was not, but I did get the best vanilla latte ever! We meandered to Regents park and sat awhile and then took the same route I walked every morning to BADA. It was amazing. It felt like just yesterday I was walking to school there. I tried to get into the BADA building using the code, but it didn’t work (in fact another program was going on there since BADA runs a program in Oxford over the summer). But I still got a picture! We walked through Camden Town and ate at one of my favorite Italian Restaurants.

Then we started back towards Ben’s Cookies (the best darn cookies in the world) but our bladders struck us so we ended up in a Mcdonald’s bathroom line for 20 minutes. This left us very little time and we finally spotted an Orange (place that sells phones) so we stopped to get ourselves one so Mom would stop pestering me (just kidding, mom!). I had to book it to the theatre, so no cookies for me or time to buy a new shot glass.

I saw Alls Well That Ends Well at the Globe! It was SO good, and I had never seen it or read it before. There were some great monologues in it! My feet are killing me after standing for 3 hours but it was worth it! I learned 3 things from that trip to the globe. 1. Women who are in there 50’s, and are not skinny (okay, they are fat) should not, and I repeat, should not wear spandex as pants! You are bigger than a 6 and wrinkly and your butt sags, please put on some pants! 2. Cough drops/hard candy is the most annoying thing you can possibly eat during a show! If I heard the lady behind me smack, chew, bite, or suck on that cough drop one more time I was gonna turn around and slap it out of her mouth! 3. On the tube ride home there were a lot of girls going out wearing 6 inch heals and dresses that showed their cooters. I really hope the US does not take on this fashion…it’s hideous.

Now I am completely exhausted and we have to be up at 5am to leave for Paris! Ooh, also, Lindsey bought a shot glass for me since she didn’t go to the play :D I was excited cause my other one broke upon moving out. Another wonderful day in London and I really REALLY REALLY don’t wanta leave. It is officially my favorite place in the world. Hopefully I have Internet access in Paris and I will post my phone number here if you feel so inclined to text me! 

Walking through Londontown

So today was wonderful. I love London, I love being home, and I love perfect weather. We started off the morning on a walking tour which was really just walking from Westminster to Big Ben to parliament and tubing it to the Tower Bridge and Tower of London. I had never seen the changing of the guards though so that was kind of fun!

Then it was free time so Lindsey and I walked over Tower Bridge and strolled along the Thames river walk. We ate at the Bagel Factory (one of my favorites) and walked by the Millennium Bridge, St. Paul's, The Tate, The Globe, and The London Eye. We also happened upon Burrough Market, so I got Bailey's and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

We decided to tube it over to Trafalger Square (my favorite place in London). We watched some street performers and got Chai Lattes at Cafe Nero! I made her try the divine chocolate muffins as well. We walked back through Piccadilly Circus up through Oxford Circus before we parted ways so I could go meet Rania (My director from Three Penny)!!

I met Rania near the National and we went for drinks! (They had Magners on tap!) And we just caught up for about 2 hours. It was WONDERFUL to see her, and she promised to visit New York in the next few months. She said BADA this semester didn't compare to last year :P After talking for awhile she was off to a movie, so I grabbed a chorizo sandwich from off the street and ate it outside while I browsed some stores. Then I headed to the National to see The Holy Rosenbergs. It had Henry Goodman in it who taught a master class at BADA! It was really good. Very well written and acted. The first act was a little slow though (probably because I was ridiculously exhausted and kept nodding off) but the second act made up for it! I stayed awake so it musta been good!

Now Im back at the hotel completely exhausted but planning for my last day in London...I don't wanta leave...I think I'll just stay here and meet them in Greece...

"Land"ward Bound!

So the blog wasn't letting me post stuff to it yesterday...but here is my entry from my first day back abroad...

Day 1 in my favorite place on earth! So happy to be back home J The flight went pretty well considering the Olson’s traveling luck. I didn’t get in first class as I’d hoped, but at least I was on the plane! I was sitting in the middle aisle on an end seat and there was another guy on the other end seat (we didn’t talk). I watched Rabbit Hole (with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart), which is based on the play! Pretty good! Then I conked out, woke up in a rather uncomfortable position only to bed fed a greasy roll and a banana. I know monkeys are my favorite animals, but I hate bananas.

Once I was awake, despite the sore neck, I read on my new kindle before landing! We had to drive in circles for a while and a little bit of a delay to the gate, but good other than that. Customs was easy, but then I got to baggage claim. I come down the escalator, look for ATL, and walk over to the conveyor belt. Bags keep on coming, but none of them are mine. Eventually I decide to check the sign again. Well, low and behold, two flights came in from ATL and I was at the wrong one. So I got my bag, boarded the train and the tube to the Bayswater area. My oyster card still works!!

Our rooms are small (not surprising) but nice! Lindsey (my roommate) and I decided to explore the area and ended up walking by Hyde park, so I convinced her to go see my old apartment! GAHHH How I missed Edgeware Rd and Little Lebanon! I took a picture at the Landward, peed in the McDonalds, and peaked into the Victory (pub across the street that had done some redecorating).

We then decided to walk back a different way…bad idea. We got lost, but not too badly because I had the sense to ask for directions once we started getting out of familiar named streets. 3 hours later, we made it back to the hotel for orientation (where I discovered everyone knows everyone and most of them are frat stars and sorority sisters). Doesn’t matter to me though!!

Got cleaned up, went to a pub for fish and chips (and Strongbow!) with the group. Chatted with a few people and then went on a pub crawl! Well, Lys, having been up and not sleeping all to well on the plane, made it to one pub (to meet more people) and walked into the second one before deciding going back to the hotel was the best option! So here I am! Tomorrow is a walking tour of London!

Graduating, Packing, Leaving!

I graduated from college 2 days ago, and I'm leaving for London tomorrow!!! It's a crazy whirlwind of a week! Hopefully travel goes smoothly tomorrow :D I'll keep yall posted on all my travels.